Town youngster Luke Hyam has admitted his recent absence from first team action has been a major source of frustration for him.

The 20-year-old midfielder has played a mere 12 minutes — when he was introduced as a late substitute in last month’s 2-1 defeat at Watford — during the club’s last 10 Championship fixtures.

That represents quite a turnaround in fortune for the former Northgate High School pupil after he was in the starting line-up for seven games on the bounce immediately before manager Paul Jewell decided to leave him out.

Hyam, dropped after the 3-0 defeat at Brighton, said: “It has been a bit frustrating these past few weeks but I just have to keep putting in the effort in training and hopefully I will get some game time before the end of the season.

“The manager has been saying I just need to keep working hard to impress in training because he’s watching closely every day and that forms a big part of him picking the team to play in the games.

“I’m not too far away but I’m now looking to at least get on the bench if I’m not going to be in the starting line-up. It would be the same with any player — it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there and with 25 players in the squad it’s obvious that they are not all going to be involved.”

Hyam, who is under contract until the summer of 2013, is quick to point out that he will not over-react to his exclusion.

He added: “I trust the manager and I have faith in him because he is experienced and he has managed at the top level. He knows how to handle young players and what is best for them.

“I am grateful for the fans’ support — I really appreciate it — but they don’t pick the team. That’s the manager’s job and all I can do is try to impress him enough to pick me.

“This close to the end of the season I just want to get involved in some, if not all, the remaining games. Then next season the aim is to come back flying so that I am knocking on his door — not literally — to demonstrate my determination to be a regular choice.”

Hyam, given his debut by former boss Roy Keane on the opening day of last season, has so far amassed 23 league and cup appearances and is still waiting to celebrate his first senior goal for his home-town club.

He said: “Nothing would give me more satisfaction than to be in the side from day one next season and stay there. The manager has reassured me that I have a future here and I believe I have still made progress this season.

“I am working hard to improve. I can only do that if I’m playing and I’ve been doing extra afternoon sessions with the coaching staff at the club to improve my passing and my awareness. Hopefully, it will pay off.”

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

BlueBailey24 added 12:51 - Apr 13 I hope he gets back in the team. our best spell of the season featured him and Drury. just needs to be a little less rash with the tackiling as some games you can just see he is going to see red any minute!
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Daleyitfc added 12:52 - Apr 13 He trusts the manager? What a pillock.
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sonian_blue added 12:52 - Apr 13 PJ was backed into a corner(injuries and suspensions)to play Hyam and Drury and they saved his bacon. First opportunity (Brighton he was scapegoat and hauled off) he was 'rested' and hasnt hardly been seen since. Despite talking him up, PJ obviously doesnt rate the boy. Contrary to about 15000 fans.
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alztar added 12:52 - Apr 13 I think a lot of people seem to forget he is only 20! hope can become a mainstay in this squad next season and inspire PJ to put a little more faith in youth!
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taylor15 added 12:55 - Apr 13 with leadbitter going in the summer looks even more likely now, surely he HAS to be in the first team. he's a huge prospect, and him getting game time with only make him a better player. better than bowyer, by a long way. put him in the side jewell!!
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Strikes added 13:02 - Apr 13 Terrible disgusting treatment of a young player which goes to show just what a mess we are in as a club and what a terrible manager we have at our terrible club. There, that's saved jas0999 the effort.
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Surco72 added 13:17 - Apr 13 As Hyam says himself the manager watches him in training everyday playing against Leadbitter,Bowyer,Drury,Bullard and if he was so much better than these players every day he would be playing every game . He did very well when he came into the side but so did Drury ,Martin in a central role and Chopra hit good form in front of goal ,and the back four stopped conceding so many soft goals it was not just Hyam's inclusion that turned the team around and the good form has continued after Hyam was taken out of the side ,but that wont stop most moaning about the manager and the club

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buryblue77 added 13:19 - Apr 13 Says it all doesn't it, he's been doing extra work in the afternoons to increase his awareness and improve his passing. Why would he be doing that unless it was required? It's clear from how over eager he can get in games that he's not the finished article yet and the holding midfield role is more often than not played by someone with a few more years experience. The bad manager was RK, how by all accounts made some shocking decisions regarding player training, PJ is still sifting through the rubble.

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SeriouslyDelusional added 13:36 - Apr 13 Has anyone worked out the stats for match results for this season / last season when Hyam has started? bet they're not bad at all
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jas0999 added 13:39 - Apr 13 ... as I said, disgusting treatment and destroying confidence. Garv et al will no doubt disagree and think Hyam has been fairly treated!! Hyam SAVED PJ's JOB. Then dropped for ne reason. Disgusting.
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H1960 added 14:18 - Apr 13 jas...i could not agree more
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itfc1981 added 14:34 - Apr 13 Its never good to have a manager who drops players when they are on form. Jewell was looking to drop Hyam for weeks, the Brighton game gave him the excuse. Oh to have a manager and a CEO who can do the simple things with ease.
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Garv added 15:59 - Apr 13 Jas READ the article above!!! Are they the words of a player with destroyed confidence? No reason at all? Maybe the fact Leadbitter was clearly impressing in training and subsequently put in several good performances scoring goals along the way? There's your reason. Luke Hyam was not the only player on the pitch against West Ham I might also add.
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Keaneish added 16:57 - Apr 13 Destroyed confidence!? What are you lot on? You're all mental! Where have we seen any signs or any admission that his confidence is destroyed!? You make stories up and then pedal it as a debate. It's simply not true! sonian_blue and ITFC1981 - the reason he came off against Brighton wasn't as he was a scapegoat, it's because he was chasing shadows all game! His position is the hardest on the field. If he's not breaking up the play, getting his foot in, retaining possession, tracking and holding defensive positions we become exposed very easily. Against Brighton he was poor so he was tactically substituted, it's as simple as that. It's not about favourites or 'mates', it's football - get a grip!

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itfc1981 added 17:39 - Apr 13 Keaneish thats my point he was poor in that ONE game, and that gave Jewell the excuse to drop him despite his good form. ONE poor game and he was gone. copy and paste: get a grip!
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bluearmy4life added 21:14 - Apr 13 Probably unlucky to be dropped for so long now. This period will probably make him a better player in the long term. If we lose Leadbitter, Bowyer (Hope Bowyer is not offered a new deal) is Hyam the answer to get us challenging for a play-off place next season? I can't answer that one?
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Keaneish added 15:27 - Apr 14 ...but as PJ has been saying ALL season, it's not just about what you do in games ITFC1981, it's also about what you do in training and we have to assume from this that others looked sharper in training ahead of the Bristol City game...which we won comfortably 3-0!!
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patrickswell added 00:55 - Apr 15 "It isn't just about what happens in games..." Hmmm, but the point is that in the games Hyam played in, a team whose confidence was on the floor, picked itself up and banished its relegation fears. The fact that the guy was ignored until Jewell was backed into a corner and has since played just 12 minutes of football after the Brighton game (which I find shocking) doesn't speak well of Jewell's method of handling young, talented players. I see Carson was left out of the squad again today as well. So frustrating. This was a season in which they should have been building on their experience from last season only to have their progress stalled by Jewell. I hope to see them play more often next season, but don't hold out much hope under this manager.

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